On May 23, MINMI will release her new album, “identity.” The album is a mix of genres, including reggae, trap, Afrobeats, and altanative. The album will also feature appearances by AK-69, TEE, JP THE WAVY, and Kan a.k.a GAMI. The song “Namaiki” serves as the April and May ending theme for the Yomiuri TV variety show “Hama-chan ga!”, while the song “WINNER” serves as the halftime cheer song for the Yokohama F. Marinos football team. “identity” also features of cover of Drake’s 2017 song “Passionfruit.” Check out more information on MINMI’s new album below!

On May 23, Shiggy Jr. will release their new EP, “KICK UP!! E.P.” This release includes the song “Oteage Psychics”, which serves as the opening theme for the second season of the TV Tokyo anime series “Saiki Kusuo no Sai-nan.” The song is a rock song with a psychedelic feel, something that is a out of the ordinary for the band. Shiggy Jr. recently released the music video for the song, and it has a chaotic touch to it. Check it out below, along with more information on Shiggy Jr.’s new EP!

LUCKY TAPES is now signed to Victor Entertainment! The band will make their major label debut on May 23 with a new CD titled “22.” The band says the release is full of nostalgic melodies and emotional lyrics.

LUCKY TAPES recently released the music video for their new release’s title track. The music video for “22” was shot in Taipei, Taiwan. In the clip for the funky, upbeat tune, frontman Takahashi Kai walks around the city, while dancers perform in other scenes. Check it out below, along with more information on this release!

This past weekend, the Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, was awarded to Hirokazu Koreeda’s new film “Shoplifters” (“Manbiki Kazoku” in Japanese). This marks the first time that a Japanese director has won the Palme d’Or in 21 years, when Shohei Imamura’s “The Eel” (“Unagi” in Japanese) won. Starring Lily Franky and Ando Sakura, “Shoplifters” tells the story of a poverty-stricken family who relies on stealing to make ends meet.

“My legs are shaking. I’m really honored to be here,” Koreeda said upon his win. Having been previously nominated for the Palme d’Or five times, this was a joyous occasion for him.

Hey! Say! JUMP are appointed as tourism ambassadors for Miyagi Prefecture and on the 23rd, the group held a “Miyagi Prefecture × Hey! Say! JUMP Tourism Campaign” press conference. Member Yaotome Hikaru, who hails from Miyagi, shared his thoughts on the reconstruction efforts since the Tohoku disaster and his role as a PR ambassador.

A dedicated official site and Youtube account were opened for the campaign. A 4 and a half minute PR video “Hey! Say! JUMP Natsu Tabi Migayi” featuring the group and the scenic spots of Miyagi Prefecture were released. Watch the video and catch some member quirks such as Inoo Kei and Yaotome Hikaru with cats and Okamoto Keito speaking English. More videos and info can be found at the official site heysayjumpmiyagi.jp

Going with the number of the album, 5 different versions are available for fans to choose from. There’s a standard 2CD version, a 2CD+blu-ray version, and a 2CD+2blu-ray version. The blu-ray versions are also available in DVD format.

During the Saitama Super Arena stop of their ongoing EPCOTIA tour, NEWS announced a new single “BLUE” and their 15th anniversary live to be held at Ajinomoto Stadium.

Member Tegoshi Yuya is appointed as the main caster for NTV’s coverage of ‘FIFA World Cup’ which will start on June 14 in Russia. “BLUE “ will serve as theme song, representing both the color of the Earth and the image color of the Japanese national team. The new single is a fantastic soccer song themed around “blue”! Opening up with a glorious chorus, this spirited fight song conveys the “bond” of NEWS, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The powerful joint singing and Nippon call in the chorus are a must-hear. It will be released on June 27.

“NEWS STADIUM LIVE 2018 ~15th Anniversary~” at Ajinomoto Stadium will be held on August 11 – 12. Check out the details of the new single and short preview below.